Medieval DNA from Soqotra points to Eurasian origins of an isolated population at the crossroads of Africa and Arabia.

Soqotra, an island situated at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden in the northwest Indian Ocean between Africa and Arabia, is home to ~60,000 people subsisting through fishing and semi-nomadic pastoralism who speak a Modern South Arabian language. Most of what is known about Soqotri history derives from writings of foreign travellers who provided little detail about local people, and the geographic origins and genetic affinities of early Soqotri people has not yet been investigated directly. Here we report genome-wide data from 39 individuals who lived between ~650 and 1750 CE at six locations across the island and document strong genetic connections between Soqotra and the similarly isolated Hadramawt region of coastal South Arabia that likely reflects a source for the peopling of Soqotra. Medieval Soqotri can be modelled as deriving ~86% of their ancestry from a population such as that found in the Hadramawt today, with the remaining ~14% best proxied by an Iranian-related source with up to 2% ancestry from the Indian sub-continent, possibly reflecting genetic exchanges that occurred along with archaeologically documented trade from these regions. In contrast to all other genotyped populations of the Arabian Peninsula, genome-level analysis of the medieval Soqotri is consistent with no sub-Saharan African admixture dating to the Holocene. The deep ancestry of people from medieval Soqotra and the Hadramawt is also unique in deriving less from early Holocene Levantine farmers and more from groups such as Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from the Levant (Natufians) than other mainland Arabians. This attests to migrations by early farmers having less impact in southernmost Arabia and Soqotra and provides compelling evidence that there has not been complete population replacement between the Pleistocene and Holocene throughout the Arabian Peninsula. Medieval Soqotra harboured a small population that showed qualitatively different marriage practices from modern Soqotri, with first-cousin unions occurring significantly less frequently than today.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation impact on left ventricular myocardial damage: long term follow-up.

INTRODUCTION: Aortic stenosis (AS) is causing myocardial damages and replacement is mainly indicated based on symptoms. Non-invasive estimation of myocardial work (MW) provide a less afterload dependent tool that, we sought to look at the impact of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on the myocardium at long-term follow-up and according to current indications. METHODS: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, single-center study. Patients were selected based on the validated indication for a TAVI. Standardized echocardiographies were repeated. RESULTS: 102 patients were included. Mean age was 85-year-old, 45% were female, 68% get high-blood pressure and 52% had a coronary disease. One fifth was suffering from low-flow low-gradient aortic stenosis. Follow-up was performed at 22 ± 9.5 months after the TAVI. No TAVI-dysfunction was observed. LVEF was stable (62 ± 8%), and global longitudinal strain get improved (-14.0% ± 3.7 vs -16.0% ± 3.6, p-value <0.0001). No improvement of the MW-parameters was noticed (Global Work Index (LV GWI) 2099 ± 692mmHg% vs 2066 ± 706mmHg%, p=0.8, Global Constructive (LV GCW) 2463 ± 736mmHg% vs 2463 ± 676mmHg%, p=0.8). Global Wasted Work increased (214 [149; 357] mmHg% vs 247 [177; 394] mmHg%, p= 0.0008). CONCLUSION: In a population of severe symptomatic AS-patients who had undergone a TAVI, the non-invasive myocardial indices that assess the LV performance at long term follow-up did not improve. These results are questioning the timing of the intervention and the need for a more attention in the pharmacological management of these AS-patients.

Phenotyping of heart failure with preserved ejection faction using electronic health records and echocardiography.

Aims: Patients presenting symptoms of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are not a homogenous population. Different phenotypes can differ in prognosis and optimal management strategies. We sought to identify phenotypes of HFpEF by using the medical information database from a large university hospital centre using machine learning. Methods and results: We explored the use of clinical variables from electronic health records in addition to echocardiography to identify different phenotypes of patients with HFpEF. The proposed methodology identifies four phenotypic clusters based on both clinical and echocardiographic characteristics, which have differing prognoses (death and cardiovascular hospitalization). Conclusion: This work demonstrated that artificial intelligence-derived phenotypes could be used as a tool for physicians to assess risk and to target therapies that may improve outcomes.

Primary mitral regurgitation: Toward a better quantification on left ventricular consequences.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD) and ejection fraction (LVEF) are the parameters to look for when discussing repair in asymptomatic patients with a primary mitral regurgitation (PMR). Loading conditions are altering LV-function quantification. LV-myocardial work (LVMW) is a method based on pressure-strain loops. HYPOTHESIS: We sought to evaluate the additive value of the LVMW for predicting clinical events in patients with PMR. METHODS: 103 patients (66% men, median age 57 years) with asymptomatic severe PMR were explored at rest and during an exercise stress echocardiography. LV myocardial global work index (GWI), constructive work (GCW), wasted work (GWW), and work efficiency (GWE) were measured with speckle-tracking echocardiography at rest and low workload. The indication for surgery was based on the heart teams' decision. The median follow-up was 670 days. RESULTS: Clinical events occurred for 50 patients (48.5%) with a median of event-free survival distribution of 289 days. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) at rest was 32.61 ± 8.56 mmHg and did not predict the risk of event like LVEF and LVESD. Changes in, GLS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.55; 95% confidence interval (Cl): 0.36-0.83; p = .005), GWI (HR 1.01; 95% Cl: 1.00-1.02; p = .002) and GCW (HR 1.85; 95% Cl: 1.28-2.68; p = .001) in addition to Left Atrial Volume Index (HR 1.73; 95% CI: 1.28 - 2.33; p < 0,001) were independent predictors of events. CONCLUSION: Changes in myocardial work indices related to low-dose exercise are relevant to best predict PMR patient prognosis It might help to better select patient's candidate for "early-surgery."

Evolution and prognostic value of left ventricular deformation and myocardial work parameters in Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Wild-type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is an increasingly recognized condition. It remains challenging to estimate the extent of disease and the prognosis for most patients. Myocardial work is a sensitive echocardiographic approach that improves the characterization of myocardial damage. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate myocardial work parameters in ATTR-CM patients and it changes over time. METHOD: We analyzed clinical, electrocardiographic, biological, and echocardiographic characteristics in 113 consecutive patients (median age 82 [77-85], 90.4% male) diagnosed with wild-type ATTR-CM based on international consensus at a single centre. Baseline and follow up data at 18-month were assessed. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients died and twelve were hospitalized for heart failure at a median follow-up of 935 days (IQR 691-1159 days). Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left atrial strain during reservoir phase (LASr), left ventricular longitudinal strain, Global Work Index (GWI), Global Constructive Work, and TAPSE significantly decreased from baseline to 18 months while wall thickness increased. Left ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF), Right Ventricular Free Wall Strain, Global Wasted Work (GWW) and Global Work Efficiency (GWE) did not alter significantly. Using a multivariate analysis, strain parameters were identified as prognostic on baseline evaluation: GWW and RV-free wall-Strain (FWS) especially. They were significantly associated with the risk of death and hospitalization for heart failure. CONCLUSION: Myocardial Work parameters, particularly GWW, were valuable predictors for outcome in ATTR-CM patients.

Genetic continuity and change among the Indigenous peoples of California.

Before the colonial period, California harboured more language variation than all of Europe, and linguistic and archaeological analyses have led to many hypotheses to explain this diversity1. We report genome-wide data from 79 ancient individuals from California and 40 ancient individuals from Northern Mexico dating to 7,400-200 years before present (BP). Our analyses document long-term genetic continuity between people living on the Northern Channel Islands of California and the adjacent Santa Barbara mainland coast from 7,400 years BP to modern Chumash groups represented by individuals who lived around 200 years BP. The distinctive genetic lineages that characterize present-day and ancient people from Northwest Mexico increased in frequency in Southern and Central California by 5,200 years BP, providing evidence for northward migrations that are candidates for spreading Uto-Aztecan languages before the dispersal of maize agriculture from Mexico2-4. Individuals from Baja California share more alleles with the earliest individual from Central California in the dataset than with later individuals from Central California, potentially reflecting an earlier linguistic substrate, whose impact on local ancestry was diluted by later migrations from inland regions1,5. After 1,600 years BP, ancient individuals from the Channel Islands lived in communities with effective sizes similar to those in pre-agricultural Caribbean and Patagonia, and smaller than those on the California mainland and in sampled regions of Mexico.

The effect of pregnancy vitamin D supplementation on offspring bone mineral density in childhood: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of moderate- to high-dose vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy on offspring bone mineralisation found a positive effect of vitamin D supplementation on offspring bone mineral density (BMD) at age 4-6 years, with a smaller effect on bone mineral content. PURPOSE: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to assess the effect of pregnancy vitamin D supplementation on offspring bone mineral density (BMD) in childhood. METHODS: A literature search was conducted for published RCTs of antenatal vitamin D supplementation with assessment of offspring BMD or bone mineral content (BMC) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) using MEDLINE and EMBASE up to 13th July 2022. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. Study findings were grouped in two age groups of offspring assessment: neonatal period and early childhood (3-6 years). Random-effects meta-analysis of the effect on BMC/BMD at 3-6 years was performed using RevMan 5.4.1, yielding standardised mean difference (SMD) (95% CI). RESULTS: Five RCTs were identified with offspring assessment of BMD or BMC; 3250 women were randomised within these studies. Risk of bias was low in 2 studies and "of concern" in 3. Supplementation regimes and the control used (3 studies used placebo and 2 used 400 IU/day cholecalciferol) varied, but in all studies the intervention increased maternal 25-hydroxvitamin D status compared to the control group. Two trials assessing BMD in the neonatal period (total n = 690) found no difference between groups, but meta-analysis was not performed as one trial represented 96.4% of those studied at this age. Three trials assessed offspring whole-body-less-head BMD at age 4-6 years. BMD was higher in children born to mothers supplemented with vitamin D [0.16 SD (95% confidence interval 0.05, 0.27), n = 1358] with a smaller effect on BMC [0.07 SD (95% CI - 0.04, 0.19), n = 1351]. CONCLUSIONS: There are few RCTs published to address this question, and these are inconsistent in methodology and findings. However, meta-analysis of three trials suggests moderate- to high-dose vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy might increase offspring BMD in early childhood, but further trials are required to confirm this finding. (Prospero CRD42021288682; no funding received).

Nursing students' attitudes, behaviour, and knowledge toward smoking cessation: Results from a descriptive survey at a regional university.

BACKGROUND: Smoking is the largest single cause of lifestyle-related preventable morbidity and mortality. Nurses form the largest cohort of health professionals and are strategically placed to implement smoking cessation interventions. However their capacity is underutilised, particularly in rural and remote areas in countries such as Australia where the incidence of smoking in is higher than average and access to healthcare is limited. One strategy to address the underutilisation of nurses in smoking cessation interventions is to include training in the university/college nursing curriculum. To effectively implement this training, it is vital to have an in-depth knowledge of student nurses' attitudes towards smoking including the role of healthcare professionals in smoking cessation, their smoking behaviour and that of their peers, and knowledge regarding smoking cessation techniques and resources. OBJECTIVES: Investigate nursing students' attitudes, behaviour, and knowledge towards smoking cessation, determine the impact of demographics and educational experienced on these, and develop recommendations for future research and educational practice. DESIGN: Descriptive survey. PARTICIPANTS: Non-probability sample of undergraduate nursing students (n = 247) from a regional Australian university. RESULTS: Significantly more participants had tried smoking cigarettes than had not (p = 0.026). There were no significant relationships between gender and smoking (p = 0.169) or e-cigarette use (p = 0.200), but a significant relationship was found between age and smoking status where older participants (48-57 years) were more likely to smoke (p < 0.001). Most participants (70 %) were supportive of public health measures to reduce cigarette smoking but felt that they lacked specific knowledge to assist their patients to cease smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Within education there needs to be an emphasis on the central role that nurses play in smoking cessation with a greater focus on training nursing students about smoking cessation strategies and resources. There is also a need to ensure that students know it falls within their duty of care to address smoking cessation with patients.

Entwined African and Asian genetic roots of medieval peoples of the Swahili coast.

The urban peoples of the Swahili coast traded across eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean and were among the first practitioners of Islam among sub-Saharan people1,2. The extent to which these early interactions between Africans and non-Africans were accompanied by genetic exchange remains unknown. Here we report ancient DNA data for 80 individuals from 6 medieval and early modern (AD 1250-1800) coastal towns and an inland town after AD 1650. More than half of the DNA of many of the individuals from coastal towns originates from primarily female ancestors from Africa, with a large proportion-and occasionally more than half-of the DNA coming from Asian ancestors. The Asian ancestry includes components associated with Persia and India, with 80-90% of the Asian DNA originating from Persian men. Peoples of African and Asian origins began to mix by about AD 1000, coinciding with the large-scale adoption of Islam. Before about AD 1500, the Southwest Asian ancestry was mainly Persian-related, consistent with the narrative of the Kilwa Chronicle, the oldest history told by people of the Swahili coast3. After this time, the sources of DNA became increasingly Arabian, consistent with evidence of growing interactions with southern Arabia4. Subsequent interactions with Asian and African people further changed the ancestry of present-day people of the Swahili coast in relation to the medieval individuals whose DNA we sequenced.

Recent sarcopenia definitions-prevalence, agreement and mortality associations among men: Findings from population-based cohorts.

BACKGROUND: The 2019 European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) and the Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium (SDOC) have recently proposed sarcopenia definitions. However, comparisons of the performance of these approaches in terms of thresholds employed, concordance in individuals and prediction of important health-related outcomes such as death are limited. We addressed this in a large multinational assembly of cohort studies that included information on lean mass, muscle strength, physical performance and health outcomes. METHODS: White men from the Health Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study, Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study cohorts (Sweden, USA), the Hertfordshire Cohort Study (HCS) and the Sarcopenia and Physical impairment with advancing Age (SarcoPhAge) Study were analysed. Appendicular lean mass (ALM) was ascertained using DXA; muscle strength by grip dynamometry; and usual gait speed over courses of 2.4-6 m. Deaths were recorded and verified. Definitions of sarcopenia were as follows: EWGSOP2 (grip strength <27 kg and ALM index <7.0 kg/m2 ), SDOC (grip strength <35.5 kg and gait speed <0.8 m/s) and Modified SDOC (grip strength <35.5 kg and gait speed <1.0 m/s). Cohen's kappa statistic was used to assess agreement between original definitions (EWGSOP2 and SDOC). Presence versus absence of sarcopenia according to each definition in relation to mortality risk was examined using Cox regression with adjustment for age and weight; estimates were combined across cohorts using random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age of participants (n = 9170) was 74.3 (4.9) years; 5929 participants died during a mean (SD) follow-up of 12.1 (5.5) years. The proportion with sarcopenia according to each definition was EWGSOP2 (1.1%), SDOC (1.7%) and Modified SDOC (5.3%). Agreement was weak between EWGSOP2 and SDOC (κ = 0.17). Pooled hazard ratios (95% CI) for mortality for presence versus absence of each definition were EWGSOP2 [1.76 (1.42, 2.18), I2 : 0.0%]; SDOC [2.75 (2.28, 3.31), I2 : 0.0%]; and Modified SDOC [1.93 (1.54, 2.41), I2 : 58.3%]. CONCLUSIONS: There was low prevalence and poor agreement among recent sarcopenia definitions in community-dwelling cohorts of older white men. All indices of sarcopenia were associated with mortality. The strong relationship between sarcopenia and mortality, regardless of the definition, illustrates that identification of appropriate management and lifecourse intervention strategies for this condition is of paramount importance.

Clinical predictors and management for radial artery spasm: an Australian cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: The transradial approach for coronary artery catheterisation has increased in popularity compared to the transfemoral approach for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions. However, radial artery spasm continues to be a major complication of the procedure. Current management strategies vary concerning radial artery spasm and there is limited evidence of practice in the Australian context. AIM: To identify the predictors of radial artery spasm and the medications used for its prevention and management. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out over a three-month period in two tertiary hospitals in NSW, Australia. A self-administered pre-procedural survey was completed by patients undergoing coronary artery catheterisation. This survey collected socio-demographic data and assessed anxiety using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Procedural data, including length of procedure, equipment used, occurrence of radial artery spasm, and medications given, were collected post-procedure by the interventionalist. RESULTS: Of the 169 participants, over half were male (59.8%) and aged 66 years or older (56.8%). Radial artery spasm was reported in 24 (14.2%) participants. Rates of spasm were significantly higher among females (66.6%, p = 0.004), those aged under 65 years (62.5%, p = 0.001) and those who reported a medical history of anxiety (33.3%, p = 0.0004). There were no significant differences in State and Trait anxiety scores among those who had RAS and those who did not. Logistic regression identified younger age as the only statistically significant predictor of RAS (OR 0.536; 95% CI 0.171-1.684; p = 0.005). To prevent radial artery spasm most patients received midazolam (n = 158; 93.5%), nitrates (n = 133; 78.7%) and/or fentanyl (n = 124; 73.4%) prophylactically. Nitrates were the most frequently administered medication to treat radial artery spasm (78.7%). CONCLUSION: This study highlights that there is a need to develop a clearer understanding of the predictors of RAS, as identifying patients at risk can ensure prophylactic measures are implemented. This study identified nitrates as the preferred vasodilator as a preventative measure along with the use of sedation.

Does antenatal cholecalciferol supplementation affect the mode or timing of delivery? Post hoc analyses of the MAVIDOS randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies relating maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D status to timing and mode of delivery have reported inconsistent results. We assessed the effect of antenatal cholecalciferol supplementation on the incidence of preterm birth, delivery mode and post-partum haemorrhage (PPH). METHODS: MAVIDOS was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 1000 IU/day cholecalciferol from 14 weeks' gestation until delivery. Gestational age, mode of delivery [categorized as spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD), instrumental (including forceps and vacuum extraction) or Caesarean section] and PPH (>500 ml estimated blood loss) were determined from medical records. RESULTS: A total of 965 women participated in the study until delivery. Gestation at birth and incidence of preterm birth (cholecalciferol 5.7%, placebo 4.5%, P = 0.43) were similar between the two treatment groups. SVD (versus instrumental or Caesarean delivery) was more likely in women randomized to cholecalciferol [Relative Risk (RR) 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02,1.25] due to lower instrumental (RR 0.68, 95%CI 0.51,0.91) but similar risk of Caesarean delivery (RR 0.94, 95%CI 0.74,1.19). PPH was less common in women randomized to cholecalciferol [32.1% compared with placebo (38.1%, P = 0.054) overall], but similar when stratified by delivery mode. CONCLUSIONS: Antenatal cholecalciferol supplementation did not alter timing of birth or prevalence of preterm birth but demonstrated a possible effect on the likelihood of SVD.

Increasing awareness of bullying through small-scale initiatives in higher education.

Employees are entitled to work in an environment that upholds their dignity and respect, but bullying still exists in many disciplines, including in nurse education and nursing practice. Researchers have suggested that to address bullying employers need to intervene at team and/or organisational level rather than focusing solely on the individuals involved. To reduce the incidence of bullying and other adverse social behaviours in the workplace, many higher education institutions and healthcare organisations have developed dignity and respect (D&R) policies. In this article, the authors describe the development and implementation of several small-scale initiatives designed to increase awareness of bullying and D&R policy among staff and students at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Trinity College Dublin. The interventions were informed by the concepts of distributed leadership and implementation science.

The diverse genetic origins of a Classical period Greek army.

Trade and colonization caused an unprecedented increase in Mediterranean human mobility in the first millennium BCE. Often seen as a dividing force, warfare is in fact another catalyst of culture contact. We provide insight into the demographic dynamics of ancient warfare by reporting genome-wide data from fifth-century soldiers who fought for the army of the Greek Sicilian colony of Himera, along with representatives of the civilian population, nearby indigenous settlements, and 96 present-day individuals from Italy and Greece. Unlike the rest of the sample, many soldiers had ancestral origins in northern Europe, the Steppe, and the Caucasus. Integrating genetic, archaeological, isotopic, and historical data, these results illustrate the significant role mercenaries played in ancient Greek armies and highlight how participation in war contributed to continental-scale human mobility in the Classical world.

A genetic probe into the ancient and medieval history of Southern Europe and West Asia.

Literary and archaeological sources have preserved a rich history of Southern Europe and West Asia since the Bronze Age that can be complemented by genetics. Mycenaean period elites in Greece did not differ from the general population and included both people with some steppe ancestry and others, like the Griffin Warrior, without it. Similarly, people in the central area of the Urartian Kingdom around Lake Van lacked the steppe ancestry characteristic of the kingdom's northern provinces. Anatolia exhibited extraordinary continuity down to the Roman and Byzantine periods, with its people serving as the demographic core of much of the Roman Empire, including the city of Rome itself. During medieval times, migrations associated with Slavic and Turkic speakers profoundly affected the region.